In 1991 our family moved from São Paulo, Brazil, to Chicago, USA.

We bought a home on Bob-o-Link Rd, Highland Park, Il.

Eight years later we were invited by our dear friends Harry Drucker and Bruce Boyd to join the International Board of The Nature Conservancy of Illinois (TNC).

What a surprise when, at the first meeting, we were contemplated with a coffee mug with a bird, named Bob-o-Link! What a coincidence! We thought.

"Why the Bob-o-Link?" We asked.

"We want the people to think beyond our borders".....the answer......."The Bob-o-Links flies every year from the Midwest of North America to the Southeast of South America. If we continue the vast monocultures of soybean and corn here in the US and all the sugar cane in Brazil, there will be no more Bob-o-Links!"

This was about the time Silvia received Fazenda Fortaleza farm from her parents. We decided to transform it to a place for "all" the Bob-o-Links of the world...

We changed the farm name to Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (Environmental Fortress Farm) and immediately banished all toxic materials, protected the springs, created green corridors for the wild life, and begun the process of bringing awareness to our people at the farm.

We started to ad fruit trees to our coffee plantations ( such as bananas, mango, avocado) and coffee seedlings to our secondary forests.

We also started to motivate our people to continue education and promoted social integration, personal development, healthy and natural eating habits, and personal skills.

Although we were having very positive progress, we later learned that it was not enough to save FAF. The water from our springs run clean at FAF, but continue to the neighbors; the birds that nest at FAF fly all over, people come and go.....

We decided to expand our area and invite our neighbors to to join us in protecting the environment and create a much wider free and clean zone for the "Bob-o-Links".

The Bob-o-Link Coffee is a result of a network of farmers, located in one of the best regions for coffee in Brazil, which have in common the vision of producing the best coffees, with sustainable agriculture methods, that reduce the "heavy footprints" of humans on earth, promoting harmony between men and our Nature.

The Bob-o-Link coffees are produced mostly in the Mountain Mogiana Region
( States of São Paulo and Minas Gerais), at altitudes that vary from 900m to 1,400m high, with Arabica coffee varieties such as Bourbon, Mundo Novo and Catuai.

Most of our FAF coffee farmers are formed by small properties , run by single or extended families, located at the top of the mountains, the perfect environment for the best coffees. The beans are picked selectively and dried in terraces next to their homes, close to their eyes.

Since these farms are on the top of the mountains, most have more that one spring in their property. The tradition is that only the first user gets clean water, due to improper dispose of waste and due to the agro-toxics used on the land. Also, the top of the mountains have always been covered by the Rainforest trees. But to maximize the use of the land for more production area.....the trees are the first to go and the sprigs get full sun exposure....

The Bob-o-Link farmers are part of the FAF network that will promote awareness for the increase of Quality Coffee that keeps the springs protected, create green corridors on the water ways, reduce the use of toxic material, and keep the trees to shade the coffee and create a healthy place for people and for the Bob-O-Links.

The Bob-o-Link Coffee has the mission to deliver the Finest Quality Coffees with the message of Awareness of Preservation and Culture Integration.

Our goal is to allow the "Bob-o-Link" flocks of all spices back and to spread the Sustainability seeds for a better, healthier, happier and peaceful world.

Marcos Croce